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From: pan@well.UUCP (Philip Nicholls)
Newsgroups: sci.psychology,sci.bio
Subject: Re: Evolutionary factors in human psychology
Message-ID: <5661@well.UUCP>
Date: 10 Apr 88 19:42:43 GMT
References: <6107@watdragon.waterloo.edu> <1085@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu> <764@actnyc.UUCP>
Reply-To: pan@well.UUCP (Philip Nicholls)
Distribution: sci
Organization: Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, Sausalito, CA
Lines: 42

>>
>
>I would think that there would be almost no neutral mutations at all.
>If a mutation were otherwise neutral, i.e. noise, it would take up
>room in limited genetic space (it must be limited, or "higher" species
>would have indefinitely many genes.)  So "neutral" genes would be at
>least moderately negative when the cost of storing and processing 
>the information was thrown in, and would be eliminated before long.  
>At least, this is what the system administrators force me to do to 
>my precious files.

Unlike the codes in a program, genetic information has a built-in
"wobble" factor on several levels.  The triplet codes of nucleotides
are redundant, i.e., several sequences code for the same amino acid.
Often, it is the third base in the sequence that varies for one
amino acid, as if it is perhaps less critical than the first two.

On another level, the tertiary structure of proteins is actual determined
by a small number of the amino acids in it.  Thus it is these amino acids,
plus those in the active site (if the protein is an enzyme) that are
critical.  The rest can vary and it has been suggested that they do, and
in a somewhat regular, clockwise fashion.  These neutral mutations
accumulate over time and can give an indication of phyletic distance 
between organisms.

By the way, I have not posted or read this group much, so if I am
giving an answer that sounds patronizing, I apologize in advance
and will try not to do so in the future.

References (for neutral mutations):

King JL and Jukes TH "Non-Darwinian Evolution" Science 164:788-798.
(1969)

Jukes, TH "Some recent advances in studies of the transcription of
the genetic message," Adv Bio Med Phys 9:1-9 (1963)

-- 
"To ask a question, you must first know most of the answer."
                                     - Robert Sheckley

   pan@well.UUCP (you figure out how to get their).